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21 April 2014

Holler.
How was your Easter?
Great. That's great.

Judging by Instagram and Facebook .. it looks like everyone (hopefully) enjoyed a nice day in the weather department and a floral day in the clothing department and a sugary day in the food department. Recipes for success, I say.

We enjoyed an Easter miracle after getting to Mass early, marching up and down the aisles looking for an empty pew that was NOT being saved for 10 people with one purse and one person perched next to said purse (I'm sorry but pew savers ... you're on my list of strong dislikes ... very strong - I actually overheard one of the sinny savers explaining to someone that children couldn't be expected to sit still that long .. hence the hogging .... and I'm just glad we didn't make eye contact in that moment :)) and finally found a free piece of real estate sandwiched between the nicest folks. They said, "we were hoping some kids would sit by us!" and meant it! SAINTS. And the gentleman that had to get up and out multiple times for multiple reason (Julia's bladder, Julia's bladder, Theodore's temper tantrum, and more!) just cracked a smile wider than the one he'd cracked the last time he'd had to get up and out and was so gracious about it all. Thank you, kind sir.

So. Happy Easter!
It was a good one here.

I'm actually sitting/swaying smack dab in the middle of (false!) labor limbo and while I cannot complain because I'm only a little over 38 weeks along and could have 4 weeks to go ... let me just mutter a tiny complaint under my breath. There, I feel better. I've been having contractions ranging from 1-10 minutes apart since Saturday morning. Some feel like they are fueled by the fires of Pitocin and others just pinch enough to make me stop, breath medium heavy, and squint at the wall. But they won't regulate and it be getting old. I'm having some serious PTSD flashbacks to Julia's marathon labor (where I swore she was our first and last child because I was on my deathbed at 2 centimeters). No amount of walking, water, laying on my left side, and all the other tricks will speed them up or slow them down. They have a mind of their own. I had an appointment this morning and my OB said that she's be surprised to see me next week which we all know has now jinxed me into seeing her next week, the week after that, and the week after that .... in the office. I've been able to sleep a few hours both nights thanks to some Ambien and things could be so much worse and in the grand scheme ... Bob Marley and his affinity for the things ... every little one of them ... gonna be all right ... was right. It's all good.

On our fourth walk and 999th contraction on Saturday and Julia is oh-ver it. Sorry for the double dose of Pattons I just hate huge vertical photos and small ones too so .... I made it horizontal by way of a flippity flopped collage. And I hate those too. No one wins.

Anyway, I thought a little comment prompt would be fun? Yes? No? Maybe?

Humor me. Please.

I know these answers will vary widely but it's still fun to read and share. Hence .... this blog.

tell me .... "I knew I was in labor when .... "

when what? when your water broke all over the grocery? or the baby popped out on the freeway? what?
I feel like a real elephant with larger than life ears here with baby #4 and feeling so unsure and a little (ah! fine ... a lot) frustrated so I'm turning to my peoples.

And all the culinary clichés about pots that are being watched never boiling and how important it is to let the baby cook until he/she is ready have been taken into consideration. If only I could stop perspiring from my forehead long enough to concentrate hard enough to believe them.

#1 My water broke all over the hotel room we were in (thanks goodness I didn't have to clean up that mess) and #2 when I was doing squats in my kitchen to start things rolling but then it was nap time so I decided not to go in (nap time is all too precious if it was going to be a false alarm) then decided to go in since I couldn't talk through the contractions

I knew I was in labor when...#1 My water broke.#2 My contractions were 2 minutes apart.#3 My water broke.#4 My contractions were 2 minutes apart.#5 Thought my water broke. It didn't but they told me at the hospital I was in labor.#6 Hoping to skip the whole labor thing. Just give me the baby.

I knew I was in labor with my first daughter when I was at my doctor's appointment three days past my due date. I told my doc I thought I had been having contractions and they hooked me up to the monitors, where I could watch them get stronger and stronger. My husband had to go home to get my bag because they wouldn't let me leave!

When I was walking out of the mall (had to go because Gap was having a 40%off sale) and could not make it back to call without stopping 25 times to breath through contractions. Then I went home and scrubbed every surface in my house, my water broke while I was scrubbing the shower!

Both my girls were born via c-section due to crazy complications, so I have no idea what labor or contractions feel like. But they don't sound fun, that's for sure. Hoping and praying you get some relief soon!

#1 - there was no moment, as I think I got admitted a wee bit early, and got some pit after that, and well, things went from there.#2 - when I had been lowing like an entire herd of cattle on the living room floor for an hour in the middle of the night, and was trying to actually run away from my own uterus because OUCH. Contractions were still 4-7 min apart, but it was, in fact, labor.

Ok, I know the caster oil is extreme... but it does work :) If you're not there yet, I did this a lot:http://spinningbabies.com/techniques/the-inversion

You are probably already doing it because it is not that novel, but I think it is what got Lucy's head in the right position to actually come out after several weeks of exactly what you are describing. I would never have wished that on anyone so I will pray pray pray!! that it does not last much longer and that something- anything- works!

Ah good luck!! I had those false labor contractions forever with baby William!! I thought by the 3rd I'd know when it was "for real", but nope -- ended up at the hospital and was sent home 2 days before his actual birthday.. Hope your baby decides to arrive soon!!

With my firstborn, I was sure when the contractions had gone from 10, to 7, to 5 minutes apart. We headed to the hospital then and she was born 5 hours later.With my second, I'd been having false labor for AGES (weeks, anyway) but I was sure when the contractions jumped from 8 minutes apart to 3 minutes apart, and I was feeling all flustered and confused while trying to pack my bag and say goodbye to my mom and daughter, etc. Poor husband was herding me with "okay, let's go, come on honey" out the door :D

Well I wasn't sure if I was wetting the bed or my water was breaking. It was 4:00am. After the third time, my husband woke up and asked if I was ok. I told him I either peed my pants or my water broke. I rolled over and fell asleep again. He, of course, was going crazy. Woke up again and was pretty sure I wasn't just peeing my pants...it was my water 😉 went to the hospital and 45 hours later Ted was born!

Oh and FYI...I did thankfully make it to the bathroom before any said bedroom furniture was ruined 😉

My water broke in the middle of the night with my first and my husband was certain I had merely peed in my sleep. (In his defense we had spent 30 (continuous) hours the previous week thinking I was in real labor....)

With baby #2 I woke up in the morning with some serious contractions. They never got very close (5-10 minutes) but I had her within an hour and a half. My midwife arrived about 10 minutes before Evie was born - we thought I had a long way to go given the space between ctx.

With #1 I woke up to pee and realized the bed & i were soaked! Thought I had peed the bed....Water had broken and plug followed as I got out of the bed (gross I know). It was 3am. Woke husband, who insisted I was not in labor and should go back to bed. Called my mom just to check and see if maybe I was crazy thinking I was in labor. Ha. Contractions were 3 minutes apart and I still had to pack my bag...Because procrastination is my game. We ended up throwing the box with the car seat and base in the back of the car since and said we'd figure it out later. Husband ended up with a stomach bug and was a load of pleasant. This hot mess checked in the hospital at 4-ish, got hooked up and ended up getting a c section due to a narrow pelvis. Good thing because husband was holding a bag to his face most of the time, so holding my hand and coaching me on breathing would not have happened. #2 & #3 were scheduled c sections and I didn't miss the "going into labor" times at all.

My water broke when I got up to pee for what felt like the 100th time that night. It didn't take long for things to get serious. My husband rushed out of bed to go feed the cows (we have a dairy farm), but I had to call him to get his rear in high gear and leave the farming to our family and friends on standby.

My water broke with my oldest son, during dinner, sitting at the kitchen table. That was a pretty clear sign! The other three had to be induced. No labor for me. My 2nd had no amniotic fluid, so he had to come out. With the 3rd my husband was being deployed, so they induced me 8 days early so he could be there. And my 4th (sorry, Grace!) - I was just sick of being pregnant and he was 9 lbs, so the doc said, "Let's go!" and I said "Amen, sister".

I knew I was in labor with my first when I threw up and my water broke simultaneously. However, that was a few hours after we got home from a trip to the hospital because I was convinced I was dying/dilated to a 10 and I was actually only at 2 centimeters. So I was kind of relieved our second trip to the hospital was legit;)

Aaaand... #4: Three separate instances of serious contracting sent me to L&D... First time, they're like Oh, baby 4, you must be at pro... at each of the next two trips in they said this less and less confidently. Never was a gal so relieved for an induction... which actually ended up taking 12 hours with each shift nurse swearing I was 'almost there.' Oh, you must be a pro at this too right?;)

After my first baby, who was a 2 weeks late induction on Pitocin marathon and I won't go into that, I've had three babies whose labors looked like this: daily, for a week, contractions for 4-6 hours at a time (usually at night) that were anything from 5-10 minutes apart and then just...stopped. By the end of a week, I'd be 4 cm dilated, exhausted, and DONE making plans and alternate plans (such as: okay, if I go into labor for real at the grocery store, I should first get the kids home, then call -- NO! call Michael (my husband) first, then get the kids home and watching a video, then...). Boy does that get old with each day. I didn't actually finally know it was time. My husband did, because he asked if I thought we should go to the hospital, and I burst into tears. Yep. Time. I'm not usually a crier, and I don't often have trouble answering yes/no questions based on my opinions. Or any other questions based on my opinions. So we went and had a baby. That was two of them. The other one we followed the same pattern except that I was having a rare evening of no contractions for that week and we were trying to decide which movie to watch. I went to the bathroom, where my water broke, and we decided: No movie, birth instead.

I knew I was in labor when...#1 - My mom and all her fellow hens convinced me I was and marveled at the ten day past due bohemeth of a belly#2 - My water broke as I tried to roll out of my brother's water bed (yeah, he appreciated that one)#3 - When at my 3pm appointment the doctor wanted to induce me but decided against it since I was SO FAR from being ready that she worried it would be two days of induction followed by c-section SO I drowned my sorrows in a big taco salad from Wendy's and woke up at 4am in labor. I held off on going to the hospital until 7am because I KNEW it was a long way off... they doubted my contractions were legit because they weren't registering UNTIL someone figured out the monitor wasn't hooked up properly and checked me to find that I was at 7cm so they moved me into a room but didn't bother to get a doctor lined up so I delivered at 9:10 am with the assistance of a labor nurse and medical student. So far from being ready, my rear.

Does Dr. Patton check your cervix or is that beyond the married to a doctor benefit package?

Felt my first real contraction in the middle of the night, thought, "Hm. That was weird," and went back to sleep. Contractions kept coming all morning, so my husband stayed home from work, but when they never settled into a pattern, I let him go into the office for the afternoon to save his time off. He got home in the evening; contractions had kept going, but were still fairly easy and irregular, so off he went to his softball game. By the time he got home again (7pm?), I was FINALLY sure it was real labor--they were getting more intense for sure, although they still--STILL!--weren't at super regular intervals. By 10:30, we were at the birth center (6 cm at check in!), and baby was born before 3am. Nice and quick--though I won't exactly say it was easy. ... Still, it was smoother than what you are experiencing right now, but please don't hate me! Hope you get a nice, beautiful, wrinkled little end in sight soon!

I had BP spikes all over the map for about week before my daughter was born, and I had a scheduled non-stress-test on the day I was 38 weeks. Three days earlier one of my docs had already discovered that I was dilated 4 cm. The NST showed contractions -- which I didn't feel, which is the only benefit of having had endometriosis cramps every month since I was 13 -- but it was my BP that made my wonderful doctor send me to the hospital. I was dead set against being induced and I was on the point of refusing, when he pulled out the big guns: "If you were my wife, I wouldn't want you to be pregnant anymore." Well, how do you argue with that?! Answer: you don't.

So off we went to the hospital -- bags already in the car because I knew I was dilated and that my BP was on a crazy roller coaster ride -- and when I got there and they hooked me up to the monitors they discovered that I was already in active labor! And I STILL didn't feel it!

And then they hooked me to pitocin to speed it along and broke my water, and THEN I felt it. Whooo boy.

When......I was crying and questioning if we should go to the hospital. Haha. First time mama and I didn't want to get sent home if we showed up and I was just 1cm. Which I was...but they let me stay anyway!

At least the contractions are possibly being a least a tiny bit productive? Everyone always says "oh she said I was 3cm but we all know that means nothing as to when labor begins." But ummmm any cms you can get before labor begins is a win in my book. Because I knew I was having a baby when my water broke and I knew I was in labor hours later when they had me pumped full of pitocin and I had 10 whole cms to go. No fun at all.

With my latest baby i knew i was in labour when i felt the first contraction at 7:10pm. I then went for a big walk all myself to mentally prepare. in retrospect i should have woken my husband before i was at the 'on all fours rocking back and forth stage' because he only got the pool half full before i gave birth :)

#1. Bloody show. (This is about babies coming so hopefully not too gross). Still went to church that Wednesday night and taught the kids for an hour. Then had contractions and went in and got sent home cuz I was a one. And I suffered miserably all night in a tub and rolling on the floor and screaming. Went in early the next morning and was at a 3 and said I must have an epidural. A day later the kid was born. Long long labor. #2 determined it would be different. Thought water broke at night. Went to bed anyway. Woke up with contractions all night long. But not bad pain. Decided to drop off #1 and go see if water had indeed broken since contractions were coming anyway. Had not broken. Was at a 2. Told them I wanted pit and a pretend induction stat. Wasn't messing around. Baby born at 5 pm. Much quicker. Much better.

#1: finally had contractions days after the due date... had a NST scheduled and had 1 whole contraction, then went in at midnight and labored allll day at the hosp before Grace came. All told, it took 2 full days, but she eventually showed up#2: woke up because of contractions, timed them all day and finally went in at midnight... Soph came 4 hrs later

I knew I was in labor when I (sorry to be graphic) threw up, which broke my water, which put me into full on labor and baby came 1 1/2 hrs later. Right before that happened the nurses were still debating sending me home even though I had been having Braxton hicks for 3 weeks, and was at the hospital, and was scheduled to be induced the next morning at 7am. So weird labor, super long (3 weeks) or super short (the real deal)...However you think of it!! :)

I was induced after due date both times, 1st time I was 10 days over. 2nd time I was 4 days over...so I didn't know I was in labor til I was all hooked up. Boring uneventful (ecxept low low Bp drops for me both times) & completely healthy successful & satisfying labors for me :)

I totally had false labor with mine too! Unfortunately mine lasted for about 5 days...but I've heard that's really rare! She was crooked.. like transverse or whatever, so while I was contracting they just weren't "doing anything"...if you know what I mean. Eventually they took pity on me and gave me morphine...which was tons of fun... and let me sleep a bit. Good luck! Lots of prayers for a safe delivery and healthy mama and baby.

#1 My water broke as I got into bed and she was born 6 hrs later#2 After three false labors, contractions finally stuck around and he was born in 6 hrs#3 After a night of light contractions, realized it was active labor when my water broke. Baby was born 5 minutes later while on my way to the bathroom and as my midwife's assistant walked in the door...pretty darn close to just falling out, which I was perfectly fine with!I have to imagine your fourth will be a breeze and fall right out!! And I never listened to anyone and just went with the idea that all false labor contractions was helping and would take time off labor (kept me sane with baby #2)

I had preterm labor at 29 weeks with my twins- contrax every 6-8 minutes for 8 hours. Then after 9 weeks of bed rest i got induced. After 16 hours of contractions i could feel through the epidural but weren't registering on the monitor, they did a C section. Where the knife beat the anesthesia kicking in for a few seconds. We found out later my daughter's head (baby A) was jammed in my hip bone. Her poor little head! It was actually not that little, but still. Sooooo...contractions then incision, I guess? Either way, recovery was long. You and baby #4 are in our prayers!

I haven't ever had contractions before the real deal. With both my births I just started having contractions and knew it was real. I got to the hospital with my first at 5cm and I was at 8cm with my second. Also, my water doesn't break until they are coming out. They had to break my water with my first and with my second I had him in my arms literally 5 minutes after my water broke.

With all 4 of my kids, I knew I was in labor when I lost my appetite and lost all desire for food. That is the #1 labor sign for me....not wanting to eat..and it doesn't happen ANY OTHER TIME. Usually, I'm all GIVE ME ALL THE FOOD, ALL THE TIME. Well, that and the contractions of course.

Me too!! I am SO confused by people who tell you to get something to eat on the way to the hospital, because you won't be able to eat. When I was in labor there was no way I could eat anything. So strange. I had tons of Braxton Hicks contractions which got increasingly painful but were ALL OVER THE PLACE for about 2 weeks leading up to the big day. I really only realized it was labor because I lost my mucus plug (sorry- graphic) and all of a sudden the contractions were reliably 5 minutes apart. Soooooo not much help here. I'm so interested to see (or more accurately obsessing about) what happens in a few weeks with baby # 2.

haha, i knew I was in labor when...they turned on the pitocin. Sorry...inductions for all of mine! Though, to be fair, I think i would have gone into labor with Helen (#3) but since i was all about being done being pregnant, I agreed to the induction anyway, LOL

#1: Labor broke while I was sitting on the toilet: how convenient, and the last considerate thing that baby did, I think ;)#2: Contractions about 4 minutes apart and having to stop and concentrate through each one...as soon as i got to the hospital, I said, "I'm in labor and I'm ready for my epidural, por favor."Best wishes to you!!!

#1 was so, so the same as your little miss J's labor. According to the Doc I never went into labor - I refused to be sent home on round 2 because it had been 3 days of contractions, I was a naive first timer, and I was a day or two away from 42 weeks.

#2 was scheduled for an induction and contractions started 6 hours before I was supposed to go in. Wasn't about to be laughed at by telling them I was in labor - because bad memory flash backs from #1d, so I just went in and never said anything. They realized I was in labor after 3 nurses couldn't find a cervix.

Can't wait to hear your #4 birth story and have another Patton join your wonderful tales!

I'm SO GLAD you put up this post because I had a pretty serious false alarm on Saturday/Sunday night and now I'm second-guessing everything I've been feeling since. I'm torn between hoping "the real deal" starts asap and worrying because I'm not sure I'll know it's the real deal when it finally comes. Hopefully reading about how other people figured it out will help me know, or at least help me calm down a bit!

I was having contractions and couldn't tell if I was leaky water or peeing with each one (I figured I was just peeing) but Phil made me go to the hospital and get it checked. Turns out my water had broke like 12 hours earlier when my light contractions had started. And then Henry took his sweet time making his grand entrance (like 36 hours later). He will never live it down. Not for that. And not for all the stretch marks.

I had the WORST false labor with my second. I was so pissed. I got to "active labor" once, to the point where I went home from work, expecting to go to the hospital, and when I got home, all contractions stopped. So, that was cool. What ended up happening both times with me is my OB accidentally broke my water. Well, that's kind of a lie. She really did accidentally break it with my son (my first) - I was at my 39 week exam, she was like, "Looks good! You'll be delivering in no time" (this was after her comment the previous week of, "I'd be shocked if you made it to your next appointment."). She turned to update my chart, and I started leaking. I thought it was blood but it turned out to be my water. With my daughter, she stripped my membranes at 38 weeks. I went home to grab lunch before returning to work, and I started leaking water. So, bam. I was in labor. The second time was SUCH a relief because it meant my false labor was finally over. I will warn you, if you get your membranes stripped, it hurts like a B!TCH. I begged my doctor to stop, but luckily she knew I didn't really mean it. Good luck to you girl!

Just found your blog and love it. I'm also pregnant with my 4th babe and they are all super close in age too. So I know the craziness of life you're going through : ) What stroller is that? I need it. I use a baby jogger for my almost 1 and 2 year and my 3 year old has to walk!

As for I knew i was in labor....that never happened. I get induced because I"ll be literally 6 cm dilated and nothing happening haha. It works for us, but I think it would be exciting to just go into labor.

With #1 my water broke when I arrived at the hospital for my induction. For #2, I was shopping with my mom, thought was having contractions, realized it was labor when I staryed crying because I saw a nightgown that reminded me of my deceased grandmother (who was not at all kind to me). 1 For #3, I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, went back to bed, had a contraction, got up to go to the bathroom and the contractions started com8ng on top of each other and I couldn't find my phone to call & have my parents come over to watch the kids. That's because my phone was in my hand and I wa d using it to time my contractions. Baby was born within 1 hr 45 minutes of 1st contraction.

Ummm as a first timer I didn't know. Guess that makes me a dumb dumb! I knew when I went to my midwives and was like heyyyy is this my waters? (show them a gross pad)… uhhh yes, yes it is. Oops! Then things got real with the contractions

I only know I'm in 'labor' when they yank the baby out of my belly whilst I shiver and barf flat on my back. ;-) One failed induction, one failed VBAC, and two planned c-sections later, I have come to terms with scheduling the birth of my small ones. #5 is due in November and hubby and I are trying to selfishly make the most out of Thanksgiving before he/she comes. ;-)

Oooooh suckface. False labour is woeful. I wish that one of your friends was there to just walk through the day with you and help to pass the time.

Despite all the advice about every baby and labour being different ..... my first two labours were the exact same, from time of day (night actually) going into labour, to progression, to time of delivery. Almost a mirror image of each other. So, with both cases, I knew I was in labour when contractions started in the middle of the night, waking me up, at a regular 5 minute interval. Not really painful, but not able to be slept through.

#1 - My water broke just about 37 weeks. I was in so much shock I probably still haven't gotten over it.#2 - Contractions all night, about 6 a.m. woke up my husband and my mom (stayed at her house to avoid waking the kids up in the night if it was real) - they took one look at me and said "we gotta go!"#3 - C-section#4 - Contractions so bad I couldn't breathe, insisted it was false labor, family insisted I go, finally gave in

#5 (PLEASE be only 4 weeks from now) . . . I hope it's the water again cause gosh, that is just the easiest.

Okay, because you asked. With Byron, I woke up in the middle of the night in pain and instantly thought I had terrible gas and needed to go #2. After going to the bathroom I was still in a lot of pain and was trying to get back in bed and go back to sleep when Tony was like, "Kelly, you're totally in labor. We need to go to the hospital." And I was just adamant that I only had gas. Thankfully, he dragged me to the hospital where I delivered Byron within two hours. Every pregnancy after that, I was terrified of gas...and my poor judgement.

Baby#1-- I stood up to make dinner and my water broke. Not the nice little trickle the doctor told me could happen, no this was a huge gush of water that took out my pants, shoes and the carpet. Several times over.

Baby#2--after several false days of labor, and after being up at 3 in the morning with horrible contractions, I decided I was going to the hospital and going to take someone's life if they didn't give me pitocin. Turns out it was really labor and 2 hours later we had a baby.

Baby #3-- I figured it was another false labor start. My husband made me go in after I couldn't get off the couch because the contractions were coming so often.

I was induced at 39 weeks 4 days. I had high bp and my dr kept promising me I'd go early. 3 days isn't what I had in mind. But he kept saying I wasn't ready. I was having contractions sporadically for weeks, but every time I'd get checked at my appointments the most I ever was was a fingertip. Grrrr! I even had to go in the night before my induction to have Cervadil to help me along. You know it's not good when the dr checks me first thing in the morning and says, "well that didn't do anything." Seriously? I ended up with a c-section after 12 hours of Pitocin fueled contractions.Isn't it funny that so many of us have no idea when labor is real, yet pregnant women on tv shows have ONE contraction and are all like, "IT'S TIME!" Crazy!!!

Four days past due date, feeling crummy but not in pain, went minivan shopping with my husband, and juuuuuust as we were about to climb into a shiny new Odyssey, GUSH. we were 15 seconds away from finding out what the dealership's "you ruin the seats, you buy it" policy was.

Baby number four is a comin! Is it weird that I am ridiculously excited for you? Anyway, the question are you in labor, are you not in labor? Its all so technical. With my first I woke up in the middle of the night with an insane shooting pain in my back, but didn't really think-labor. Went about my day until I was vacuuming and got another sharp pain in my back except this time is wrapped firmly to the front. Told my husband who said "you don't really look like you're in labor, I mean you don't want to be the pregnant lady who cried baby". Hours and hours went by until my mom came over and timed my contractions which were almost 2 minutes apart. She yelled, we got in the car, we did about 100 down the freeway, we got to the hospital and they said your at 9 hope you didn't want an epidural, congrats you're about to have a baby!

#1-3 were pretty regular...contractions of increasing frequency.But #4 - I had been to the hospital once with prodromal labor (so, so embarrassing and terrible) and then when contractions increased again a week and a half later I just. wasn't. sure. So I put the babysitter and doula on alert and then 2 hours after they started my daughter was delivered by my husband on my living room floor. I would say I knew for sure when I collapsed on the floor unable to move and sure I was dying.

By the way, I think the term "false labor" should always and forever be removed from speech. If those contractions don't lead to a baby right now, fine, but "false labor" sounds somehow less intense -- or made up! -- and I am here to tell everyone who wants to know that those contractions do not feel false in any way. When I have been having contractions every day all week for 4-6 hours and then they stop and the L&D nurse tells me that it wasn't labor, she's putting her life on the line, that's all I'm saying. L&D nurses should be trained better than that! Just because that baby wasn't born the same day as those contractions doesn't mean it wasn't labor -- if I'm having contractions and my cervix is changing, I'm calling it labor, even if it stops that day and starts another.

Four days before my due date my water broke just before going to bed (11pm.) I didn't have any contractions before that. They eventually started about an hour after the water breaking. Headed to the hospital when they were about three minutes apart (4am) and then they stopped in the car. They thankfully (?) started again once we were being checked in and I was 6 cm dilated. After 8 hours of labor at the hospital including 2.5 hours of pushing (yuck) My baby girl was born at 11:55 am!

2.5 weeks early, my water "broke" -- read: trickle that was me thinking I peed my pants while plucking my eyebrows at 11:30 at night (priorities... Ya know?). But of course I didn't believe it til it started getting a wee bit pinker 2 hours later. I decided to call in the morning so I didn't have to sit all day in the hospital waiting for active labor to start.

Realized it was the real deal when they made me lay down in the triage area. IMMEDIATELY was pissed at everyone and everything. Especially when I threw up all over myself and my cheery sweetheart of a doctor said something like, "oh, yeah sometimes when I run I feel queasy..." NOT THE SAME THING LADY.

best of luck with baby #4. Definitely will be checking insta for any news!!

With my first I had days of irregular contractions, and then I thought my water had broken, so the midwife came and did a litmus test, and said nope, it wasn't that, and I wasn't in real labor, and to go to sleep. The next night I figured it would just be more of the same, and my husband was sick, so he took some Nyquil around 8 PM, but instead of slowing down when I lay down, the contractions sped up and we ended up calling the midwife again. This time she said, you're definitely in labor, you're 4 cm dilated, and your baby has a lot of hair - when did your water break? To which I responded, um, you know, last night, when you told me it hadn't? :) Husband drank 4 shots of espresso, and baby was born at 3:30 am...

With number 2, I thought he'd be early, because I started having tons of contractions from 36 weeks. But he hung in there until a day after my due date. I went to bed on my due date with dishes in the sink, not even bothering to worry about it, I was so tired of cleaning everything up all the time and then NOT having the baby. But at 3 in the morning my husband finally finished working and came to bed, and it woke me up. He fell asleep but I was having contractions that were keeping me awake. By 6 am I was pretty sure I was in real labor, but I didn't want to call the midwife at 6 am unless i was REALLY sure, so I just waited for a while. by 7 my daughter was up and I took her to the potty, my mom watched two contractions and then said, "GO CALL THE MIDWIFE." Baby was born by 9 am! Fortunately the midwife was there at 8:45. :)

I didn't. I had minor amniotic fluid leaks with both my sons, which resulted in my getting Pitocin to get things started and then four hours later, there were babies.

This means I'll probably totally ignore the beginning stages of labor with this third one (that I just found out about, uh, last week) in December and end up having a baby in the mall two days before Christmas or something. Should be awesome.

Fingers crossed something happens for you--either a baby or quitting with the false stuff already.

#1 - my water broke #2 - contractions got longer, time-able, and harder to get through (was at 6cm when I got to the hospital) #3 - Same as #2 Good luck, can't wait to meet the 4th Patton baby via your blog! ;)

With #1 it was when my stomach still hurt after pooping like 18 times...oh...duh.

With #2 I had no idea, showed up in false labor at the hospital twice and felt like and idiot. (The OB office had told me to expect an early baby but that they would not stop labor which royally freaked me out.) 1 month of false prodromal later I showed up for my induction and as soon as the doctor came in, my water broke. Go figure.

#1: When I was no longer having fun despite contractions. I went to a friend's baby shower and everything in the morning during early labor, but by dinner time I wasn't up for socializing. That labor was over 24 hours long when I was 40.5 weeks. Hence the confusion of the next story...

#2: When I tried to get out of the bath that was supposed to be stopping "false labor" and couldn't. My son was here less than an hour later, and we barely made it to the hospital. Teach me not to trust my body just because I was only 37 weeks.

#1 - wasn't sure even though I had been visiting the bathroom frequently and thrown up...so I went to work, which conveniently happens to be Labour and delivery, had the nurse working check me before I punched in for work, and I was 4cm with a bulging bag of waters. Three hours later I had a baby.#2- when I had a contraction that felt like I got stabbed in the back#3- when I had a contraction that felt like I got stabbed in the back with a red hot knife

I was 6 days overdue and still no baby so we were going to go on "last date" #5 or something. My water broke as I was changing my pants and contractions started immediately. Unfortunately they lasted until 21 hours later when we had go the emergency c-sec route because baby was face presentation.

#1 - textbook, went in when contractions were 8 min apart and small talk was becoming annoying, I had to focus through them#2 - snowstorm, went in a bit early on chance the roads would get bad (good decision, they closed the bridges that night due to weather conditions)#3 - water broke, 4 weeks before due date!#4 - prodromal labor, went in twice with very strong contractions 3 to 5 minutes apart but no progress, was determined to not go in a third time to be sent home, then waited too long. Middle of the night, the contractions were 10 minutes apart but I couldn't talk thru them. After listening to me on the phone the doula suggested I probably "waited too long" and to start the 40 minute drive to the hospital ASAP. Contractions got closer together fast, and hubby made the drive in 20 minutes thanks to no traffic and me repeatedly telling him to "drive faster" in between contractions. Thankfully made it to the hospital in time#5 prodromal labor (again)! Lasted for a month, I was sure he would come early but ended up going a week overdue. Was scheduled for an induction but he decided to come the day before on his own. Woke up with really painful contractions and got to the hospital stat because I did not want a repeat performance of that drive with #4!

Praying that your contractions settle down and you have a good labor and deliver day!

Nothing about Ryder has been easy or planned so far! Lol...My OBGYN sent me to the hospital at 37 weeks to induce me because he was measuring too small. I knew I was in labor when they broke my water... yes... you read that correctly, they broke it for me. And apparently it's hard to find because they didn't get it right the first 4 times and it hurt like a BLEEP!!!!!!

I knew I was in labor when my water broke (over the toilet hallelujah) at 4am and I just changed my pants three times but they just kept getting wet everytime and I realized I probably wasn't peeing myself (again).

Hmmm… I knew I was NEVER GOING INTO LABOR with #3 when (in the span of 24 hours before induction)….

1. I had consumed an entire quart of pineapple juice2. Spent entirely too much time with a breast pump attached to me3. Tried the 'same way you got here technique'4. Walked 6.5 FREAKING miles in 2 hours

and still was not in labor. Seriously? After 2 babies I thought any and all subsequent babies just fell out of you at about 37.5 weeks. APPARENTLY NOT!?!?!?

I never really knew I was in labor with any of my four; my first was a week late and my hateful OB (yes I said hateful because she was a pansy-ass and didn't try the vacuum extractor, instead she hippity-hopped right to an unplanned C section) insisted I get induced.

#2, I was sure as sure I was in labor after eating spicy Indian food on my due date, we rushed to the hospital and got admitted thanks to 4 cm dilation...and I ended up laboring for over 24 hours. No bueno, but no C section, so bueno in the end. My husband really knew I was in labor when I punched him in the jaw during the pushing time. I didn't mean to, but I did. The nurses thought it was hilarous.

#3 had me in serious false labor and I was sooo hoping it was the real thing because I was huge and over the constant nerve pain in my back, but when my OB saw how distressed I was after getting sent back home, he patted me on the back and suggested we schedule a day to nudge the big guy out of there. He was my 12 pounder.

#4 was an awesome induction. Baby had decided not to engage properly in the pelvis and was 12 days late with absolutely-positively no contractions in site, so my fantastic OB did what he called a "gentle" induction. No Pitocin, he simply "scratched" the amniotic sac so the prostaglandins in the fluid did their thing while I walked and walked around the hospital. It was my only non-Pitocin induction and I recommend it.

Well. Let's see. Was jinxed by the midwife bc she called me the week of my due date to ask "you STILL pregnant?!" So exactly one week after the due date I was having what I thought was just false labor ... AGAIN. some strong Braxton's but nothing crazy. Started feeling a little menstrual but again nothing difficult. Decided to get on Pinterest then BAM!!! Menstrual cramp from hell. Barely crawled to my bed. Barely called my husband to tell him to come back over from next door NOW. Barely called midwife who said "get to the hospital NOW!" Barely got down the stairs ... And basically had the babe less than an hour later. Sorry. Prob way more info than you were looking for. Good luck with all the awful waiting and anticipation. Prayers for it all to go quickly and smoothly ... and with Simon in town!

You still have a cute belly at 38 wks!! With #1, I knew I was in labor when my water broke about an hour after my husband left for poker night with the guys... it's one of those things that when my hubby leaves - THINGS start happening. With #4, we had been to the hospital and they sent me home... hubs left for work... and bam I was huffy puffy serious labor about 30 minutes later.

Oh, I can sympathize with you! 3.5 weeks postpartum here and had THE WORST on and off labour for, um, 3 days with almost zero sleep. I'm so glad you are getting sleep! Oh, did I mention I was 41.3 wks during that labour bout and didn't even have the baby until 41.6 wks.

#1 Walmart put me in labour. And when I hung myself over the couch in agony afterwards, it was my husband who said he couldn't take it anymore and was driving me to the hospital. It happened to be rush hour on the Friday of a long weekend... good times!

#2 This is the aforementioned. Nothing under the sun would put me into "real" labour with him. Not tea, not walking, not squats, not spicy food. Finally, at the hospital when I was going to be induced it started becoming "real" and then he was born 3 hrs later. I went from 4-10 centimeters dilated in 1.5 hrs.

I was 3 days overdue and seriously thought it would never happen. (I know it could have been worse. I would have been an awful person to be around had I gone any longer. I can only imagine.) I woke up feeling crampy and went to the bathroom. I kept feeling crampy (btw this was 3 in the am) so I finally decided to time them via an iPhone app. (I don't think I would have even realized it was labor if it weren't for the contraction app) After three hours I woke my husband up and he saw the timer and was like holy crap you're in labor. My contractions were four minutes apart by that time!

With baby 1, it was when the back pain was unbearable but I still hadn't felt any contractions. The hospital asked what pain relief I'd taken and I looked at them in disbelief--hello, it's been 9 months since I took anything. They hooked me up and oh wait--that back pain was in fact labor and no one could believe I didn't feel it anywhere else. That came later.Baby #2--we went for the ultrasound for week 41 and they hooked me up and complimented me on my contraction pattern--which again I couldn't feel. They couldn't find the fluid so they put me in for an induction. Turns out there was plenty of fluid but the ELEVEN POUNDS of baby was hiding it. For a month they'd been saying, Stop putting on weight, the baby is 8 lbs max, you are really gaining a ton and should stop. I literally lost more than 20 lbs in the delivery. So there was that. Good luck!

#1-When I had a contraction that I knew was different from all the previous BH I'd been having for weeks. (It still took her 32 hours to be born).#2-When I couldn't sit still at the table to eat chocolate cake covered with chocolate ganache, because the contractions were too strong.#3- When I realized that the shivering and shaking I was experiencing was transition. #4 &5- When the contractions caused by Cervidil felt like transition two hours into it and I asked for the epidural. (Induced labor took 21 hours total.)

My first 3 were inductions... so the monitor's, bells, and whistles told me I was in labor. #4 was 9 days over due. My husband worked 2nd shift at the time so we normally stayed up rather late. He went to bed but for some reason I decided to stay up even later... to watch Roseanne. ?! Roseanne? Yeah, that should have been a telltale sign. Anyway, some light contractions started at about 1am. I was so excited to have a contraction that wasn't from an induction that I started timing them right away. By 6am they were close but I wasn't sure if it was the real deal. I didn't want to go to the hospital but my husband convinced me. As soon as I got my ugly hospital gown on and sat on the bed it got INTENSE. I was 6cm. Awesome.#5 was a planned homebirth. I had some contractions all day long, but I wasn't sure if they were real or not. I timed them because, well, is there a pregnant woman that doesn't time her contractions? By the time I tucked the older 4 kids into bed I was more convinced that it was for real labor. I screamed for the next 5 hours and baby was born in the early a.m. The Dr's broke my water with the first 3. #4 broke on it's own... when baby was crowning. #5 broke about 5-10 minutes before baby was born.

Our 20 month old had his worst performance at Mass yet! It was the first time we ever left early, and we didn't even make it to communion. I don't quite know how you do it with three. Please tell me you've left early before...? At least once? ;-)

Baby 1 - Was having irregular contractions when I went in for my 39-week checkup. They checked me into the hospital anyway because a hurricane was heading into town...better safe than sorry. Baby 2 - I hurt so bad during contractions that I couldn't talk. Baby 3 - 40 weeks with GD. They induced. That was the easiest birth ever. :) I'm praying for you!

#1: My water broke in the nail salon bathroom.#2: My mother-in-law's flight touched down in Denver (our child care situation)#3: I didn't know, it turns out. Got sent home like a rookie on my 3rd go round.

When it felt like my uterus was going to rip apart. Just waited around the house for the husband to get home (off at 12:30 am), knew they were getting stronger when I started literally growling through them. After laboring at home since 7 pm when they started, I left at about 3 am when I growled "she wants ooooooout!!!!" Somehow I just knew. Was already 6 cm when I arrived, said that was enough natural laboring for me and promptly got a lovely epid. There was no: water breaking, back pain, or regular contractionsI'm kinda thinking it's going to be a little ShePatton, but don't trust me at all. :) Hang in there!

I'm terrified of being sent home for false labor (oh the humiliation!), so both times I've showed up when I felt like I was being torn in two and the baby was born less than an hour later. Actually, it's pretty awesome because laboring in the hospital stinks! Eventually my pride is going to bite me in the butt and I'll have a freeway delivery.

I knew I was in labor when...I woke up (on the morning of my due date!) and as I got out of bed there was an explosion of water that was definitely a gazillion times more than that time I sneezed at 39 weeks and peed my pants. When I got to the hospital they kind of rolled their eyes, asked if I was sure my water broke, and told me to sit and wait. I informed them that my shoes had filled to the brim with "water" on the elevator ride up, I was holding a towel between my knees, and dripping bodily fluids through their lobby. They quickly ushered me into a labor and delivery room :) 30...hours....later...baby! Sending good thoughts your way!

(Don't hate me): I knew I was in labor when:#1: I went in for my 38 week checkup and the doctor told me I was 5cm and 90% effaced. And then asked if I was having contractions and I was all like "yeah a lot, but that's normal right?" And then I asked if I had time to go to Target and I got a "are you insane?" look...baby girl born 3 hours later. #2 and #3 (twins): I won't bore you with their whole story (they were born at 28 weeks), but the short story is the day before I told someone that "I know these babies are coming this week"...and they were born the next day. I don't have the best pregnancies in the world, but my babies are always in a hurry to come into the world.

Though I am personally unlikely to experience the miracle and horror of childbirth, my mother is a font of macabre maternity tales. She was induced for my birth, but my older brother was allowed to enter the world on his own terms. (Not that there's anything wrong with riding a comet trail of pitocin all the way out of the womb into the out-stretched arms of a L&D nurse.) Mom says that she knew she was really in labor with my brother when she woke up in a pool of sweat in the middle of a contraction. She got up, showered, called her mother and my dad's mother, fixed her make-up and hair (priorities), dressed in her finest muumuu, woke my dad up, and requested a ride to the hospital. Just as she settled into the vinyl seats of my dad's 1969 olive green Mercury Cougar, her water broke in a profound and semi-explosive manner, effectively destroying all evidence of her careful personal hygiene.

Just 18-40 short hours later (it varies depending on mom's mood), my brother was born.

Ahh, you are so close! I can't wait to see what the newest baby Patton will look like! It feels like just yesterday taht you were announcing your pregnancy.

Well, for my first, I was 40 weeks and 7 days, sooooo, I kind of was expecting labor to start any day soon (never had any false labor) and my contractions weren't really that bad, just like a few min apart but not killing me yet. since I was already over due, the hospital admitted me anyway and put me on picotin to help me along.

For baby #2, I was overdue (again), and I got to choose which day to induce labor, so I got to waltz into the hospital without being in labor.

I knew I was in labor when my water broke in the Sears tool department of all places! At just 30.6 weeks I thought for sure that I'd peed myself but sure enough it was go time :) Can't wait to hear about this new little Patton!

1. 38+5 weeks, PROM, induction, vacuum, etc, etc. 2. 41+1, prodromal labor for 4-5 days but who's counting? I didn't start timing until 8pm Friday, she was born 5am Saturday. I called the hospital at midnight and the midwives were like "it would be really sad if we had to send you home again". Ok. Fell asleep and contractions spaced out to 10 min intervals. Water broke at 3, had a crazy contraction that lasted five minutes!!! Then all hell broke loose. The midwives tried to get me to wait a little longer, but I said I wanted an epidural. Yeah, right. Was at 7 when we got there, went to 10 and started pushing in the space of 5 minutes (while screaming no, no, no!) and she was born 25 minutes after we got there. Am considering a home birth for next time. My rule is, once I start pushing I refuse to travel.

My Mom flew into Scotland a few days before my due date. Then we waited. She made me walk up a million hills and we probably walked 5 miles per day. We went to do some sightseeing and the attendant at the Edinburgh Castle asked me when I was due. I said, "Nine days ago." Then she picked up the phone and said, "let me make sure we have the paramedic on standby." Ha ha!

I didn't know I was in labor until my Mom told me I was. I had my membrane swept and about 10 hrs later I started to feel something. Just a little something. They were coming regular and I kept saying I didn't know what that was. Then my mom finally blurted out, "I'm glad I'm here! You wouldn't know you were in labor with out me!" She was right. But I was in labor 3 days before they induced me. I wouldn't dialate. At all. I was 14 days late. Once they gave me the Pitocin my Sebastian flew right on out of me! It was super fast!

My waters broke at home during the night so when I got up in the morning I realised and the hospital told us to go straight in. They told me I wasn't in labour and I could stay there in the pre-labour ward to see if it started. If it hadn't started in 24 hours I would be induced. They told me to settle in for a long wait. 6 hours later I had my little man. If someone tells you first labours are always long - don't listen! The hospital said I could have gone home but thank god I stayed. The day I gave birth Michelle Obama was visiting Ireland and was visiting some cafes/bars/restaurants 5 minutes from our house. All the roads around us were closed for her security and I would never have made it to the hospital in time!

Haha! I KNEW I was in labor with number 4 when he was crowning! I had been having the marathon contractions for weeks and was sick of it. Then I put the kids to bed one night and sat down on the sofa for a huge contraction. The fact that I was already 7 cm. didn't mean anything to me and I went upstairs for a long, hot soak. Another huge contraction hit me on the way up. :-/ After my 30 minute soak, I was shaky and we called the midwife for our homebirth (oh, and did I mention the blizzard?). She could tell from talking to me and listening to my silence. I went to the bathroom and whoa....dh caught. :-D

I'm sure your eyes are bleeding by this point, but one more! I feel like I have to represent for all those other IUS victims out there. After WEEKS of "false" labor with each baby, I only really KNEW I was in labor when I pushed then out!!

THIS IS MY LIFE. Since 37 weeks the doctor has been saying each week she's surprised to see me. I'm past 40 weeks now. This baby will never come!

The good news is YOUR baby will likely be born shortly because everyone I know, even those due three weeks after me, has already had their baby. Everyone.

(I realize I sound whiny, but I don't really mind still being pregnant. I'm pretty comfortable. More confused than anything. I've been 5 cm dilated for two weeks! 3 cm for two weeks before that! Lots of contractions! And...no baby?)

I knew I was in labor when...after about the 8th or 10th hour of steady, patterned contractions I was experiencing while working at the office all day. Apparently, I was a hard sell on the whole "in labor" thing.

#1 - I woke up in the middle of the night and was convinced I had peed the bed. Second gush threw me into shock, my water broke!#2 - I had made the most delicious sandwich on the planet for lunch - bacon, turkey, avocado, etc. - as I was walking back to my desk, my water broke. And of course I didn't want to eat the sandwich in fear of the inevitable during labor. Did I mention I was at work when this happened?#3 - Started having contractions, again at work, every 5 minutes apart. Quickly changed to 2 minutes apart. We rushed to our hospital - 45 minutes away - only to be placed in the triage room for the entire night, claiming I wasn't in active labor but I couldn't go home since it was so far away and I was dilated to 5cm. The next morning they broke my water and I labored extremely quickly after that.

Feel free to smack me through the internet: I didn't realize I was in labor for about 4 hours. About two hours after I began to suspect, I simultaneously burst my water (yes burst, I was "seated" and there was an audible pop and it shot 4 feet from my bathroom into my walk-in closet) and threw up (hi, transition). We went to the hospital immediately after and had a baby about an hour and a half later. But I was all, "oh, I'm going to wash my hair and straighten it and then make some cookies and do some laundry, la la la," until the water busting/vom combo shut me down.

I vomited into my boss's trashcan. And when traveling for IT consulting with 3 male coworkers I had them pull over so I could hurl. They kept looking for a peaceful place to stop while I screamed NOW! from the back seat.

I never ever believe I'm actually in labor even when I'm swaying through contractions that are 3 minutes apart and even after my second baby came out in less than 3 hours. My husband always has to make me call the midwife and not let her talk me into coming to the clinic for a check. Lucky for me or I'd probably be dropping babies all along the interstate.

Does anyone read the comments when they stretch over 100? I don't know, but here's mine:

#1 -- When I had a real contraction after my water broke. I thought your water breaking was just made for TV drama and didn't happen in real life. Water broke first before the first contraction at 38.5 weeks and I wondered what just happened here. Total labor: 4.5 hours

#2 -- Induction at 6cm and 40.3 weeks to control for precipitous labor. Total labor: 1.75 hours

#3 -- Induction at 6cm and 39.2 weeks to control for precipitous labor. Total labor: 1.25 hours

#4 -- Screw that precautionary induction; we did a homebirth. Water broke again before a single contraction. Total labor: 3 hours, nuchal ARM! slowed us down.

Water broke at 9pm, nothing too dramatic, and continued to dribble out all evening. There was also mucus and bloody show involved. Ha.

And for you people who haven't yet have babies, it isn't as gross as it sounds. It helps if you know WHY your body is doing such-and-such... then you can look beyond the "ew" factor and it's actually pretty cool.

This last one, #6, I had back pain and contractions on a Sat morning. Then nothing until Tues evening when my water broke and 15 min later contractions really started. 2hrs and 15 min after that, out came our little Fiona. That's when I knew it was really real.

Totally off topic, but I just saw on your insta that Simon interviewed at Rochester, MN. While MN is definitely better than its neighbor ND (where my husband's job in the AF brought us...), I do hope that your next location will bring you palm trees and sunshine...rather than snow and frozen lakes for 6 months out of the year! Best wishes!

Haha, I am aware that it is Mayo Clinic - which I'm sure is a dream for many in the medical field and, of course, would be a huge accomplishment. However, Mayo Clinic or not....I find it difficult to say that anything is quite worth enduring the winters here. Perhaps I am of a less hardy constitution than those born and raised in the area.

Had been having contractions off and on, for several hours at a time, for about a week, so my midwife stripped my membranes at my 40 week appointment. I was at 3 cm. This was late morning, so I went back to work (from home, fortunately) and the contractions just kept getting closer and closer together. When I couldn't focus long enough to send a simple email at 4 pm, I decided that maybe this was actually the real deal and not just another bout of false labor brought on by the stripping, and we left for the hospital about an hour or so later. The nurse who checked me in triage said I wasn't quite at 4 cm, and that after an hour on the monitors they'd probably send me home. Thirty minutes later, all alone in the room, I felt a strong need to push. Even my husband didn't believe me when I told him to pull the emergency nurse cord, but sure enough, I was fully dilated, and much screaming for help (by the nurses/midwife - at this point I was in the zone) ensued. I never got to experience the hospital's renowned birthing suites or awesome tubs, and delivered the baby in triage a few minutes later.

I knew I was in labor... when the contractions on the monitor were so crazy high that my mom and husband gathered around the machine to take pictures to document it so I could re-live the horror later. During their discussion which sounded like this, "wow! Look at that! That's a big one!" and so on, I yelled at both of them to shut the h* ll up and put up the damn camera. As soon as that contraction passed, I tearfully apologized... only to start my curse-filled rampage a minute later. Good times. :)

#1 - I was induced, and my water broke. And then I felt like someone was ripping me in half.#2 - After having very regular (painless!) contractions for 16 hours, I had mopped my floors, done some yoga, played online games with a friend, etc. and I finally called the nurse at the hospital. She told me to go in just in case and... 6cm, baby. My daughter came three hours later, and it didn't start getting painful until transition. I'm hoping for another one of those in the future!

contractions spaced ever 5 minutes woke me up @ 3AM on her due date... My husband and I got to the hospital around 4AM to find out I was only 1 cm dialated. TERRIFIED they were going to send me home only to end up giving birth on my living room floor or in the car on the way there... I asked everyone at the hospital if they were going to admit me. If they came in the room, they got the question, whether they were an RN, Nurse, Assistant, Janitor... They admitted me around 5AM... Once I was hooked up to everything, you could see the contractions coming. That was weird. Helpful for my husband, though!

I knew I was in labor when.....my child popped out into my husband's arms. I was in total denial about having my #2 exactly at 38wks 1 day (just like big bro), so I took a shower to relieve the contractions. Well, I went in and screamed through one huge contraction, and then screamed at my husband to pack our hospital bag, and then I reached down and felt a head protruding. Less than 2 hrs from the first contraction to baby in our arms...on our shower floor :) Sending some labor vibes your way :)

1: Had been having contractions for hours and we finally decided to drive the 15 miles during a rainstorm where we had to pull over and wait it out, contractions are horrible anyway, but in the back of a Pontiac Grand Am, trapped by the rain they seem so much worse!2: Needed this baby out NOW! Walked steps all day and finally fell asleep around 2 a.m, woke up at 9, the morning after our first major snowstorm very much in labor. My husband ran every red light he could find. He might have gone out of his way to find some extra ones.3: Thought I was in labor a week before he was born, so embarrassing. Went back in the morning he was born, send home again. Went back in that afternoon and cried to the nurse that she couldn't send me home. She checked me, laughed, and said "Honey, you're not going anywhere, you're at a 6." I could have hugged her! He was a sunny-side up and bruised like he'd been in a fight4: Induction because they thought she was big. Doc came in, checked me, went to get changed. 3 minutes later I had her with my husband and one awesome nurse. Doc ran into the locked doors to the maternity doors and knocked himself over backwards. All on tape.5:The birthday gift I wanted that year was just to have this baby. Had one huge contraction (on my birthday and put me on the floor) at 5:30 p.m. She was born at 12:53 a.m. My doc was still recovering from the previous birth so for the last 2 hours he hung out in our room.6:Induction because I have big babies. He was pretty quick and easy.7: Induction again but had false labor for 6 weeks. I was induced at 7 p.m and because the nurses by now know me over there they were prepared for a quick labor. I didn't have her until late the next afternoon. She was fat and short and oh so very painful. There may have been some screaming. Worst labor ever, but the nurses were fantastic and my doctor is the best.

#1 - I woke up around 2am on my due date with contractions. I immediately woke my husband up who started timing contractions. Labor progressed pretty much by the book - increasing frequency and pain during contractions.#2 - I had contractions for several days before I knew it was "real." I thought it was the real deal a couple nights before I actually went into labor and caused my husband and I to both be somewhat sleep deprived the next day. The next time I thought it might be for real (but wasn't sure) I was having consistent, but fairly spaced-out (15-20 mins apart) contractions in the evening so my husband was on alert. I woke up around 2am, waited until the contractions were more intense and hard to ignore then woke up my husband to time my contractions. We played the "is this for real?" game for a couple hours before we loaded Joseph up to take to a friend around 4:30-5am at which point I couldn't talk through contractions. We then headed to the hospital and John came at 10:43am.

1. I THOUGHT I was in labor when...I was on the floor on my knees half an hour after the first contraction wondering how I could be such a wimp. 2. My husband KNEW I was in labor when...see #13. I KNEW I was in labor when I got to the hospital after a mere 1 hour and 40 minutes of contractions (at home) and the nurses checked me and told me I was at 10cm, my water bag was all that was holding our baby in, and the nurses started flying in the room with the doctor, who ran in pulling on his gloves, arms out to catch our speedy gonzales.

That was baby #2. The first one I knew because I did every kind of exercise I could think of after contractions started and they kept going- stairs, eliptical, squats, took a long walk, light weights, and more stairs. With #3, I was never really sure. I was induced because Baby #2 came so fast and we lived over an hour from the hospital. Because of my history of fast labor, they asked me if I wanted an epidural when the doctor broke my water. I said yes, and didn't feel contractions, but did feel ready to push far sooner than the nurses expected. I was asked to "just try to hold that baby in; the doctor is 15 minutes away" and thanks to the epidural I was able to and had the baby 2 pushes after the doctor arrived.

#1: When I went to the OB and she told me I was 4 cm, 80 per cent effaced and to get myself the HECK to the hospital. Kid was born after 3.5 hours of labor.#2: When they were five minutes apart and DH freaked the freak out and made me go to the hospital. DD born after 4.5 hours of labor.#3: When my water broke as I walked into the bathroom. I thought, "This is not good" as I was 35 weeks. Baby was born nine hours later and earned himself a NICU stay and life-long complications. Le sigh.#4: Nice, easy, mellow labor... but around noon I began to get all whiney and told my doula that LABOR SUCKS. Baby 12 hours after I woke to the first contraction.

Contracted off and on for WEEKS, but I knew it was labor when I was sitting at the nurse's station on a birthing ball and couldn't finish typing a progress note in less than 10 minutes because I had to keep breathing thru contractions. Going into labor at work had perks:)

#1: when I was trying to hide the contraction grimaces from Josh, then snuck into the bedroom to read the notes from childbirth class only to read "if contractions are 10min apart, go to the hospital" and realized mine were 2min apart and we were 20min from the hospital.... ugh

#2: I was changing into my hospital gown getting ready to get hooked up to Pitocin for my induction when I couldn't get off the toilet. "I can't be in labor, I don't even have my IV yet" I thought. 30 minutes later, Joseph arrived.

#3. I was folding laundry at 33 wks and peed my pants. "What the frack?! Get ahold of yourself woman that is gross!" I thought as I waddled to the bathroom with my wet pants. As I sat on the toilet, more water gushed out and I couldn't stop it. "Hmmm is this pee or did my water just break?" I asked myself. I made the mistake of squatting to look under the sink for a panty pad (bc they say if you fill up a pad, it might be your water breaking) and... Niagara falls.... At least I didn't piss my pants I guess(Oh, but here's a helpful tip.... I struggled to figure out what women do to catch their water on the trip to the hospital. First I waddled around in a skirt with a bathtowel between my legs. That didn't work. Then I searched high and low for pads I hadn't used since Joseph's post-birth with no avail. Finally, a lightbulb went off..... I put on a size 5 diaper and yoga pants to hold it nice and tight against me. Worked like a charm :) )

#1: I had contractions for two days, with breaks in between. On July 4, they got painful, but never regular. They were 8 minutes, 11 minutes, 4 minutes, and so on. Called the doc on call to ask if I could/should go to the hospital when I started spotting. He said to wait until the contractions were regular. SHOULD have known when I checked myself (NFP pro here) and felt the head with my finger tips. DID NOT go, until I felt the urge to push. My husband still didn't believe me and went to brush his teeth first while I was standing in the kitchen trying to hold the baby in. And then asked me during our half hour drive to the hospital if I still wanted to go or turn around. He (barely) survived. Nurse didn't believe me until I was all hooked up and she checked me (and baby was right there of course). Doc came running in in shorts straight from his BBQ, broke my water, baby came out.#2 was induced. Pitocin contractions are not fun without any pain medication. I'm terrified of epidurals though because of my scoliosis. At noon doctor predicted it'd be 5 pm before the baby comes. She was born at 12.47, her head came out while I was still covered by a sheet and the doctor was putting his gloves on. #3 Contractions came regularly 6 minutes apart at 41+1 weeks. Still was only 4 cms dialated when I went to the hospital. Told the doc that the baby would come fast. I was admitted and hooked up, and then the medical professionals left the room for a little bit. My husband caught the baby and put her on my chest before anyone came in. #4 is still in utero. We'll see what happens. Good luck with your baby, Grace!! Hope you'll "know" in time and that everything goes smoothly!

The military decided to send my husband on a deployment 13 days after my due date, so I scheduled an induction three days post due date.Turns out, beating your body up by working full time retail during the holiday season and being a senior in college means you totally miss labor pains and call then pain. Got to the hospital the night before my scheduled induction for cervix ripening (horrible term) c/o Cytotek, and four hours later a thousand pickaxes slammed into my back. I knew I was in labor then. So basically, I unwittingly was in l(non active, I guess ??) labor for two days and had no idea. Were it not for the military being insensitive I might be the only woman to have been pregnant for eleven months.And then three days before my husband was supposed to leave, they cancelled his deployment. So I basically need Uncle Sam to tell me when I'm in labor.

I didn't know I was in labor when I had this recurring sensation around my lower back (and feeling like I had to poop) every five minutes exactly. I did know I was in labor when all of a sudden those same feelings were rather painful and they were now exactly two minutes apart.

These are great. #1: Thought I was when moaning though contractions every 4-5 minutes. Sort of but it still took another 35 hours and a boost of pitocin for her to be born.#2: Water broke with that theatrical gush--did a bunch of are we/aren't we deciding whether or not to call my mom to watch #1 since we had clearly jumped the gun with her. Barely made it to the birth center for 5 hours total labor.#3: Weeks of mildly painful and regular contractions. 40+2 water broke but no contractions right away. I went off by myself for a little quiet time and a little bollywoodish movie distraction while the other kids were eating dinner with my sister, realized that I had had 6 contractions in 30 minutes and that things might be starting for real. Left for birth center 2 hours later and baby born 45 minutes after arrival. Still quick but way better than #2.Commonalities: Water breaking, intense desire to eat pretzels, throwing up said pretzels (seems to be an indicator of onset of transition), baby born.

#1 I knew for sure when I couldn't sleep all night from the pain. (that was a long labor, and I knew about halfway through)#2 I knew for sure when I got up to use the bathroom and had to throw up from the intensity of the contractions. (this was a short labor...I woke up in transition.)

With baby #1 my water broke at 5:30pm on a Friday night. Of course contractions didn't start and they had to hook up the pitocin around midnight. They kept upping the dosasge because it wasn't working. Felt the first contraction at 3:10am and she was born at 4:16am with only a nurse present because they hadn't called my doctor.With Baby #2 I was at my 38 week appt and my doctor was on vacation. The doctor I saw asked if I wanted her to strip my membranes (it was late July) because I looked uncomfortable. I told her sure. But when she went to do so she told me I was dilated to a 6 and my water was ready to break. She said go get your bag and get to the hospital. We got to the hospital at 6:15pm and he was born at 8:22pm and was a sunny side up baby complete with the bruised face.Baby #3 I had been in the office the week prior because I was having contractions regularly but they weren't doing anything. Still wasn't sure when i did go in that it was for real but he came 3 hours after getting to the hospital. Another sunny side up baby that thankfully turned first.And baby #4 I had an induction set up because i had gestational diabetes with. No one bothered to check me or anything before they started the pitocin and I was obviously in labor because he came an hour after they got us all situated. I remember them all flying around when I said I had to push! An intern delievered him.Needless to say my doctor was very worried that I would have the next one at home if we had another.

#1: felt the head coming out while I was sitting on the toilet and dressing to go back to the hospital (which had sent me home 3hrs earlier because I appeared too calm to be in labour...healthcare fail ftw!)

#2: when the pain got worse instead of better despite the mid wife's insistence that a hot bath with lavender oil was what I needed (I wanted drugs not witchcraft!)